The invention relates to a method of transmitting traffic information and to a method of processing traffic information, as well as to a corresponding device.
It is known to transmit traffic reports into vehicles in a coded manner and to use a navigation system for the route computation.
Particularly for longer routes, it is advantageous to also transmit traffic forecasts. For avoiding an alternate route computation from taking place prematurely, which would not have been necessary at all because the current traffic interruption could have been eliminated by the time it is reached, it is advantageous to also transmit traffic forecasts, by which it is possible to forecast the interruption and thereby judge its relevance to the respective travel route. If, according to the forecast, the traffic interruption will still be present when the vehicle reaches the site of the traffic interruption, an alternate route can already be taken into account at that time. If, in contrast, the forecast of the traffic interruption indicates the possibility that the latter may be eliminated as soon as when the vehicle reaches the site of the traffic interruption, this specific traffic interruption may be ignored when the route is calculated.
Known protocols for the transmission of traffic reports are TMC Alert-C and TPEG (Transport Protocol Experts Group) with the application-specific definitions CTT (Congestion and Travel Time) and TFP (Traffic Flow and Forecast). These protocols permit the transmission of traffic forecasts.
It is a disadvantage of the existing approaches that, for forecasts based on individual road segments or route sections, separate speeds are assigned to each time slot. This results in a considerable amount of data which must be transmitted to the vehicles for each road segment. The transmission of such quantities of data requires correspondingly high expenditures and therefore significant costs.
It is an object of the invention to avoid the above-mentioned disadvantages and particularly to provide an efficient solution for transmitting data for a road-segment-based forecast.
This and other objects are achieved according to the invention by providing a method of transmitting traffic, wherein: the traffic information is forecast; a pattern for the traffic information is determined; and an indicator for identifying the pattern is transmitted.
Here, it is an advantage that the indicator clearly references the pattern and therefore only the indicator can be transmitted instead of the pattern. In particular, a predefined number of contemplated patterns are indicated, so that an unambiguous indicator can be assigned to each pattern. In principle, the number of patterns can define the quantity of data required for the transmission of the indicator. If there are, for example, 1,024 patterns, an indicator of a 10-bit length will be sufficient for unambiguously identifying the respective pattern.
As a result of the clear reduction of the data quantity necessary for the transmission of the pattern, conventional protocols, such as the TPEG, can be efficiently used in order to transmit forecast traffic information to navigation systems.
Correspondingly, the patterns can be equally stored at the sender and at the receiver, so that the transmission of the indicator will be sufficient for unambiguously identifying on both sides the pattern “addressed” by the indicator.
In a further aspect of the invention, a report concerning a current traffic condition is transmitted with the indicator. Preferably a report is transmitted together with the indicator, which report describes, for example, the traffic condition (traffic jam, congested traffic, etc.).
In a still further aspect of the invention, the indicator is transmitted to at least one motor vehicle. In particular, the indicator can be transmitted to a plurality of receivers by way of a broadcast message. Particularly, a point-to-multipoint connection can be used for the transmission.
In yet another further aspect, the indicator is transmitted to a receiver upon a prompt by the receiver.
It is therefore also contemplated that a point-to-point connection is used, for example, established, in order to transmit the indicator, possibly together with additional (traffic) information.
It is also a further development that the indicator is transmitted based on an application-specific transmission protocol, particularly a TPEG protocol. In addition, it is a further development that the indicator is transmitted by use of a mobile radio interface, especially by use of a mobile telecommunications network.
Within the scope of an additional further development, the traffic information is forecast for at least one road segment, in which case particularly a plurality of indicators is transmitted for a plurality of road segments.
A further aspect of the invention consists of the fact that the traffic information is forecast by way of a current event and/or by way of past values, particularly for the respective road segment.
It is a further development that the pattern is determined by use of the indicator by a navigation unit, and a route computation takes place while taking the pattern into account.
In an alternative embodiment, the traffic information is forecast, wherein conceivable speed ranges are determined for a forecast time period.
The forecast time period preferably is a future time period (for example, the current time plus two hours) for which a traffic forecast is made (for example, per road segment). This time period can be scaled in a flexible manner. For each time unit of the forecast time period, the speed range can be determined which can most probably be reached by a vehicle because of the traffic situation in the road segment. This information is transmitted in the form of the pattern for the road section in a coded manner by way of the indicator to the navigation system, which can draw a conclusion with respect to the pattern by use of the indicator and, relative to the own route planning, can use the received information, i.e. the traffic forecasts.
It is a further aspect of the invention that the pattern for the traffic information is determined in that the forecast traffic information is compared with a quantity of patterns and the pattern that best describes the forecast traffic information is selected.
A method can be used here that determines the best fit by way of given criteria and uses the pattern determined as fitting for describing the forecast traffic information and transmits the indicator linked to this pattern.
A method of processing traffic information is also provided, wherein an indicator for identifying a pattern is received; forecast traffic information is determined by use of the indicator; and a planning of the route is carried out by taking the forecast traffic information into account.
The above-indicated statements correspondingly apply to this method.
The above-mentioned objects are also achieved by a device for data processing comprising a processor unit and/or an at least partially hardwired circuit arrangement, which is set up such that the method can be implemented as described here.
It is a further development that the device is a navigation system, particularly a navigation system in a motor vehicle.
Other objects, advantages and novel features of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description of one or more preferred embodiments when considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.